The San Jose Sharks will be without veteran winger Jeff Skinner for at least a week and possibly longer after placing him on injured reserve Saturday with a lower-body ailment.

Skinner was injured in the first period of Thursday’s road game against the Calgary Flames.  He and forward Rory Kerins were chasing after a loose puck inside the Flames zone when Skinner caught an edge and lost his balance, causing his right skate to collide awkwardly against the boards.

Skinner fell to the ice, clutched his lower right leg, and was unable to put any weight on it as he was helped off at the 18:07 mark of the first period.

The Sharks announced before the start of the second period that Skinner would not return, as the Flames went on to a 2-0 win, ending San Jose’s four-game winning streak.

Skinner will at least have to miss the next three games, although, given the violent nature of the injury, it seems plausible he’ll have to miss more time than that.

The Sharks play the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night to conclude a three-game road trip. Coach Ryan Warsofsky could give an update on Skinner, who remains with the team in Seattle, after the Sharks’ morning skate at Climate Pledge Arena.

#SJSharks Skinner shaken up here, had to be helped off the ice. pic.twitter.com/500DhhNvnY

— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) November 14, 2025

The 33-year-old Skinner, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Sharks in July as a free agent, came into Thursday with seven points in 16 games. In 1,095 career NHL games, Skinner has 377 goals and 329 assists.

Skinner was mainly a middle-six forward for the Sharks this season and was on the team’s third line with Ty Dellandrea and Collin Graf on Thursday. Skinner is averaging 12:22 in ice time per game this season.

To fill Skinner’s spot on the roster, the Sharks recalled center Zack Ostapchuk from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. Considering the Sharks only have 12 forwards on their active roster, Ostapchuk figures to make his season debut with the team on Saturday, centering the fourth line with Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves on the wings.

Ostapchuk played in 13 games with the Sharks toward the end of last season after he was acquired from Ottawa as part of the deadline-day trade that sent forward Fabian Zetterlund to the Senators.

So far this season with the Barracuda, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound Ostapchuk has three goals and one assist in 11 games.

The Sharks will return to San Jose after Saturday’s game and begin a four-game homestand on Tuesday against the Utah Mammoth. The Sharks also host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, the Senators on Saturday, and the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

NEDELJKOVIC BACK

Goalie Yaroslav Askarov will have the night off Saturday as Alex Nedeljkovic, who was added back to the Sharks’ active roster on Friday, will start against the Kraken. Nedeljkovic was away from the Sharks for two days to attend to a personal matter in San Jose.

Beginning with his 24-save effort against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 18, Nedeljkovic entered Saturday with a 3-1-1 record and a .920 save percentage in his last five games, including a 32-save performance in a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 7.

Askarov has arguably been the NHL’s best goalie over the past two weeks with a .965 save percentage and a 4-1-1 record in his last five games.

Please check back for updates to this story.